Hawks end Cavaliers' record winning streak

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Not even LeBron James and the Cleveland
Cavaliers' franchise record-tying 11-game winning streak could
stand in the way of the Atlanta Hawks at home.

Mike Bibby scored 24 points and Marvin Williams added 19,
including three crucial free throws down the stretch, leading
the Hawks to a 97-92 victory over the red-hot Cavaliers on
Saturday night at Philips Arena.

Joe Johnson poured in 11 of his 17 points in the final frame and
Josh Smith added 12 and blocked a key shot in the final minute
for Atlanta, which improved to 8-1 at home this season.

"It's definitely a big win for us," Bibby said. "They're one of
the best teams in the league. We came out and just showed how
good we can be when we help each other defensively."

James had 33 points and nine assists and Mo Williams added 26
points for Cleveland, which saw its impressive streak come to a
screeching halt.

"You can't win them all," James said. "We didn't expect to win
every last game and go 79-3. ... We played hard, it was just a
matter that they got more stops at the end than we did."

The Cavaliers, who have won 11 straight five separate times in
franchise history, have lost just twice in their last 21 games.

"It just means we have to start another one," Cavs guard Mo
Williams said of the ending of the streak. "We lost our (12th)
game (of the season) and won 11 straight. The good thing about
when a streak ends, another one can start."

The Hawks have been virtually unbeatable at home ever since the
club took all three home games against the world champion Boston
Celtics in their first-round matchup in last year's playoffs.

They have won 10 of their last 11 here entering the contest
against the red-hot Cavs. Conversely, Cleveland had won 19 of
20 games after starting the season at 1-2.

But there's no beating the Hawks at home this season even if you
are playing with "The King."

"I think we have made it know that we are a team to be reckoned
with," Smith said. "Teams are not going to walk all over us.
... In past years, we would have folded against a team that came
back against us. We came back with a vengeance and knew that we
weren't going to lose."

James - who spent part of Friday night at "The Velvet Room," a
popular Atlanta-area nightclub - willed his team back into this
one, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair
of free throws to give Cleveland a 90-89 lead with 2:32
remaining.

But Bibby drained a big 3-pointer to put Atlanta up two 11
seconds later before James misfired on the other end of the
floor.

Johnson followed with a post-up jumper with two seconds
remaining on the shot clock to give Atlanta a 94-90 lead with
1:40 remaining before James waltzed through the lane for an easy
layup with 91 seconds left.

Atlanta hunkered down the rest of the way.

Smith emphatically rejected Delonte West's 3-point offering,
swatting the ball deep into the stands with one second left on
the clock. Cleveland failed to get a shot off after the
inbounds pass, forcing a turnover.

"I just had to keep coming," Smith said of the acrobatic block -
his only swat of the game. "I couldn't let him get an easy
look."

Bibby missed a long jumper, but Horford tapped the rebound out
to Marvin Williams, who was quickly fouled and split a pair free
throws to give the Hawks a 95-92 lead with 18 seconds left.
Cleveland had two chances to tie it, but Williams and West
misfired from 3-point range.

Marvin Williams secured the rebound and drained two foul throws
for the final margin of victory. Cleveland's streak was no
more.

"It's a great game for us to win," Johnson said. "They won 11
straight. For us to come in and take care of home court was
great."

The Cavaliers, who finished a stretch of four games in five
nights, played their second straight contest

The Hawks, who also finished a stretch of four games and over
five nights, came out with a little more energy. Atlanta
dominated Cleveland through most of the first three periods,
holding James to just five points in the second and third
quarters.

Bibby was hitting 3-pointers. When he wasn't, he was finding
Smith for a monstrous two-handed alley-oop jam to give Atlanta a
64-50 lead with 5:11 remaining the third.

But Cleveland awoke from its slumber, scoring 16 of the next 20
points in the third quarter to cut the lead to 68-66 at the
break and opened the fourth with consecutive buckets by Sasha
Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao to give the club its first lead
since the first quarter.